China buys a record 8.42 million tons of Russian crude oil

Beijing boosted its Russian energy imports to a new high in May, spending a total of $10.27 billion (80% more than last May) as domestic demand creeps up amid a cautious easing of restrictions.

Purchases of crude oil alone totaled $7.47 billion, $1 billion more than in April, up 55% from a year earlier and making Russia China's No. 1 oil source ahead of Saudi Arabia.

Russian liquefied natural gas exports to China rose 54% to 397,000, although Beijing reduced its total imports by 28%; this figure does not include pipeline gas, which has not yet been reported this year.